Break
by DPraven
Summary: There's something wrong with Robin, and Kid Flash is trying to hide it. trigger warning for mental health
1. Chapter 1

**Trigger warning for mental health**

It took awhile for the team to notice anything was wrong. Most of the times it was something small, Artemis caught Robin trying to hit something on the wall with his boot. He'd throw the boot near where the wall met the ceiling, and then curse as it fell to the floor and he tried it again. She asked what he was doing and he looked at her with a 'what do you think?' face, explaining that he was trying to kill the spider. To be fair, she really tried. She stared at the top of the wall where Robin's boot was hitting and she looked for anything.

"What spider? I don't see anything"

" _You don't…_ Artemis, it's right there!" he motioned up to where his boot had hit. She looked, even trying to jump against the wall for a closer look, but she saw nothing.

"Robin, there's nothing there. Are you feeling okay?"

He looked at her incredulously as if he wanted to ask her the same question.

Feeling a bit awkward and more than a little confused she excused herself, tossing a reluctant "good luck" over her shoulder as she moved to the common area.

The next time she saw Robin was over a week later. She assumed he left the base, but never really asked.

Artemis usually tended to mind her own business. She knew demons and skeletons in the closet and she knew about shameful pasts. Even with that, she couldn't help but take note every time Robin did something that seemed a bit off. Wally used to say Robin had "off days", usually right after he would blow up at nothing or start talking to the air. It was so odd, seeing their normally confident and clever Boy Wonder get lost in an everyday conversation or start screaming because Wally had made other plans on some random day.

Wally would play it off. Whenever Robin started to make a scene or draw attention, Wally would drag him to one of their rooms and give out some lame excuse afterwards.

"He's just having a bad day"

"Rob's been under a lot of stress lately"

"It's my fault, I forgot we had made plans"

Whatever was up with Robin, the Kid Flash knew about it.

The next time one of these episodes occurred, Artemis made sure to pay attention. Over the edge of a book she saw Robin talking to Miss Martian in the kitchen. Robin was telling her some story about a birthday cake or something, and he just started talking nonsensically.

Miss Martian stopped and scrunched her eyebrows together, trying to figure out what was happening as Robin threw together random words and phrases, getting off on unintelligible rhymes and sounds.

"Rob! Stop messing around" KF called from across the room once he noticed what was happening. He was by his friend's side in an instant, awkwardly hovering an arm around Robin but never touching. Robin had stopped talking. "I told you, dare's off."

Looking up at Miss M, he apologized and tugged Robin off down the hall.

Artemis waited until the two were out of obvious earshot and then asked the room in general "Alright, does anyone else think Rob's been acting strange?"

Superboy, who had been sitting on the couch watching static on the TV claimed ignorance of any odd behavior.

"Artemis… I do not think this is really any of our business," Kaldur chastised "If Robin wished us to know something, he would let us know."

"But you _have_ noticed it! Kal, I don't want to did into something that isn't mine, but what if that happens on a mission? It's something we need to be prepared for."

Miss M stayed silent, not wanting to join in to any fight between friends.

"If we were in any danger, I'm sure Batman would warn us. Until that time comes, I implore you to trust in your friends and please, do not try to cause any trouble."

Artemis dropped the conversation after that, but she knew she had gotten her point across. The next time Robin stopped speaking for days on end M'gann stopped by his room with a plate of semi-burnt cookies. Kid started having to actively push people away whenever Robin did something that left him sitting alone in his room. Even Superboy could no longer ignore the behavior.

Finally Kaldur had to address it.

During a mission to infiltrate a large human smuggling operation, Robin disappeared. This in and of itself wasn't uncommon, but once his absence was discovered Kid started to get worried. He hadn't wanted to go on a mission that day anyways and even tried to call Batman to get it called off, but the Bats was unavailable.

Superman had sent them out, and Kid Flash had fought it tooth and nail. He was finally given a choice between going with the team and having the team go without him, and after failing to get help from the silent Robin, he resigned to follow along. Now he was freaking out, trying to get Kaldur to set up a search party.

"Kid Flash, Robin is more than capable of staying out of trouble. I'm sure he will be rejoining us shortly, and sending out someone to search for him would only increase the chances of our cover being compromised." Kaldur replied over coms. He was searching with Superboy in the East wing while Artemis and Kid were in the West. Miss Martian was supposed to be paired with Robin to spy on the workers, before she confessed to not having seen him for ten minutes. "You simply have to have faith in Robin's ability and judgment" Kaldur finished, sounding more confident than he felt.

They continued to search for the human cargo, when Miss Martian called back in.

"Um, I found Robin. I think he's been captured in the control room at the southern point of the building. Uh, he's… one second."

Kid Flash vanished from Artemis's side before she even processed the information.

* * *

"Miss M!" he yelled down the hall in front of the control room, ignoring the mission's need for stealth.

Miss Martian flew through the closed door, looking relieved to find Kid Flash.

"I incapacitated the guards, but I don't know what to do about Robin." She looked uncomfortable, not really meeting his eyes.

Kid pushed past her and entered the room.

Robin was curled up on the floor against a wall. At first glance Kid thought he was crying, but then realized he was having a quiet laughing fit.

This wasn't at all the first time Kid Flash had to deal with one of Robin's fits, but it was the first time one had severely interrupted a mission. He went through the normal procedures, trying not to look like he was rushing before the rest of the team showed up. He should have told Miss M to stand guard.

Wally took the earpiece out of Rob's ear to get him to focus. Robin flinched at the touch, but that was expected. As an afterthought, he took out his own and cut off Artemis and Kaldur's voices ringing in his ear.

Next, he sat down next to Robin and tried to catch his attention.

"Robin? Robin I need to talk to you. Rob, come on you gotta listen. I'm trying to talk to you, Rob." He laid his hand lightly on Rob's knee, like the psychologist told him. Don't hold eye contact, don't grab, and don't get angry.

Robin's laugher died down and he finally made looked over at Kid with sad eyes. This was Kid Flash's least favorite part of the process, once Robin finally comes to. He knows what happens to him and despises it. Robin apologizes for "the trouble" and shuts down.

Ignoring what the psychologist had told him (the episode was already over anyways, probably) Kid Flash grabbed his friend and squeezed him in an awkward hug, careful not to pin his arms down. He planted a kiss in Robin's hair, like Barry used to do with him when he was a kid.

Robin was quiet. Wally sat next to him and replaced the earpiece, and they continued with the mission.

* * *

 **A/N: I just really love the idea of Robin having some terrible mental illness that he only trusts Wally with, and they have to hide it from the team. Obviously Batman knows, both because guardian and because Batman.**

 **I based his behavior off of paranoid schizophrenia, and the steps to calm him down are vaguely accurate. I'd like to continue it, but I'd also** ** _like to_** **finish all of my other stories.**

 **Let me know if there's any particular P. Schiz episode/reaction you'd like to see and I'll try to add it into the hypothetical second chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

Dick had seen his (adoptive) father in a range of situations most people couldn't even imagine Batman in. He's seen him drowsily walk in to doors after long days and longer nights of non-stop work, he's seen him scream himself awake from the occasional nightmare, and he's seen him sheepish after a scolding from his own father figure, Alfred. He also knows that Bruce doesn't need the cowl to look authoritative and commanding, and that there's nothing more that he cares about in the world than Dick.

Which is what makes this argument so seemingly hopeless.

"You're off the team."

Dick was used to fighting with Bruce about what he could do outside of the Manor. Whether he should be homeschooled or go to public school, who can know about his sickness and who had to stay in the dark. Most recently, it was the team. They agreed that it would be good for Dick to join the Young Justice team on the provision that Wally (and Dick, but more so Wally) report fully back to Bruce everything of concern. His breakdown the night before counted as "concerning". Bruce was allowed to pull the plug if he thought the team wasn't good for him. Nobody did overprotective like The Bats did.

Thankfully Dick was on his side with this one, and vocally so.

"The psychologist said I need to be away from home with friends my own age. This is it, this is what I need! You can't take that away because of one bad episode!" Dick pleaded.

"One bad episode in the middle of a mission. You could've gotten captured, or killed. No go." Bruce shot back. He was right, in some ways, but the two were not willing to concede defeat so early. Besides, he knew what Bruce was really worried about. The YJ team never goes anywhere that Dick would be in any real danger, even if an episode struck. Bruce was worried about M'Gann.

"They wouldn't treat me any different, you know. Wally didn't." There was a long pause before Bruce answered.

"Not everyone knows you like that, Dick. Trust me, it will only hurt you in the end."

And Dick thought that was it. That was the last he'd see of his friends because of one stupid slip one. One moment of weakness. He'd go back to being Batman and Robin, only seeing Artemis at school and the others in passing.

"Two weeks to see what happens. Call this episode a test, and see how the team reacts. If by the end of the two weeks you still want to stay with the team, we can talk."

Dick leapt at his father, hugging him tightly in the way that always caught him off guard.

"Thanks" he mumbled as Bruce attempted to return the hug.

* * *

Bruce did he best to accommodate his new son and his affliction, though some of the psychologists take exception to his methods. When Dick shared his fear of other people in the overly large mansion, Bruce shared his surveillance equipment. Dick was afraid of being attacked and Bruce taught him to defend himself. Others used the word "enabling", but others did not have to deal with his son's sleepless nights and reluctance to walk the streets alone. He helped his son to help himself, and he believes Dick to be happier for it.

Of course, that was simple. That was helping his son to fight his own demons, something Bruce had much experience with. Now Bruce was putting his faith in the hands of teenagers – exceptional teenagers but youth nonetheless – not to hurt his son. His son's fate was out of his hands this time.

And that was really not something he could stand for.

* * *

Dick was sitting on his bed in the mountain, legs hung over the edge and facing the door. He fiddled with his cape between the pads of his bare fingers, gloves tossed on some other side of the room. He crossed his legs at the ankles, then remembered what Bruce had taught him about body language and uncrossed them. He even let go of his cape and sat up straight for a minute or two before returning to his previous ministrations.

Dick was, for the most part, prepared for this inevitability. His behavior the night before had compromised the mission, everyone knew. He clenched his fist, digging crescent shaped craters into his palms. His _disease_ ruined the mission. And now everyone knows.

And someone was coming. Bruce may have conditionally allowed him to stay on the team, but Bruce was not the only one with the power to oust him. Really, anyone could. Anyone on the team, if they were convincing enough, could expel him.

M'Gann would tell them about what she saw. She'd say she was confused, maybe even worried about his _safety_. She never could refuse a piece of gossip.

And of course Artemis would jump at a chance to take the spotlight off of her own issues. Kon probably couldn't care less, but Kaldur would just love it. He would act the responsible adult, the _leader_ , and take the "hard choice". He would be commended for "putting the safety and wellbeing of the team over his friendship".

Friendship. The only friend he had was Wally and he… he would be able to have his life back. If they kicked him off the team, KF would have ample excuses to stop hanging out with him. He would find new friends – he was good at that – and he wouldn't have to baby them like he does Dick. Besides, he _was_ the one that told Bruce about what happened during the mission. He almost got Dick kicked off the team.

He started to feel liquid on his palm and cheek both, but he pushed past.

He would never find a better friend. If he were a better man, he wouldn't try. He would release Wally of his obligation and find somewhere more… alone.

It was on that thought when a knock sounded on the door, startling Dick into standing. He didn't respond, didn't disengage the automatic lock but the door slid open anyways. Dick gave Wally the code for his door seconds after he came up with it himself and Wally knew he was always welcome.

Suddenly the dual wetness came to the front of his mind. Stupidly, he tried to wipe the tear off of his face but in his haste only succeeded in smearing the blood.

Wally just walked him to the bathroom and used a damp washcloth to clean his face. He turned his face away from his friend, opting to stare at the tile floor, but Wally just dabbed his chin with the cloth silently. Dick protested when Wally went to give his small wound the full first aid treatment (antiseptic and gauze wrapped around the heel of his hand) but Wally just dismissed it with a completely inaccurate claim of "it'll heal faster this way."

It was actually a pretty common ritual. Wally felt that concealing what he did would stop him from trying it again. Maybe it did help, but it was more the fact that he was willing to that calmed Dick. He couldn't stop the stray voices telling him that it was all for show, that it was only so Wally could praise himself for taking care of his poor unfortunate soul.

"I talked to M'Gann" Wally spoke, apparently expecting a form of acknowledgement from Dick. He continued anyways.

"I… I had to tell her _something_ , and I really didn't want to lie but I would, for you. You know that, right? I wouldn't tell anyone unless I had to, not without your permission." Dick gave a slight nod as acknowledgement and Wally took it as his cue to continue on.

"I said it was just something some humans do. I told her not to tell anyone else, said it was private. She was just confused, you know? She didn't know if something was wrong with you ." Dick tensed at the last few words. _Something wrong with him._ He knew there was, but it didn't feel wrong. He never could find any difference between the things other people saw or heard and the things only he did. There was no marker, no clue that he shouldn't react to a certain stimuli. It was like he was split between two worlds and he was the only one who could see in to the second.

"Dick?...Hey, Birdboy, I'm talking to you. Still with me?" Dick looked up at him, startled out of his reverie.

"I said there wasn't. There's not anything wrong with you." They were still standing in the bathroom, Wally holding his injured hand even though he had finished wrapping it long ago. Wally gathered him up in his arms and held him tight to his chest. He was just tall enough to be able to hook his chin over Dick's head, forcing Dick to rest his head to Wally's neck.

"Just, remember that, Okay? There's nothing wrong with you"

* * *

 **A/N: Well this entire chapter was unexpected. I liked the idea of Bruce giving him security camera control for his paranoia, so I wanted to start with that but then Batdad decided to kick Dickie off the team and I didn't know what to do.**

 **I'm trying to make it clear the times when Dick is in control (with Bruce) and the times where his illness starts to influence his behavior. I really didn't want to only show Dick as "a character with schiz-like symptoms" but to maybe even explain some of his personality traits with it.**

 **Anyways, comments? Do you like my Batdad? What about Dickie's POV? Also! I'm looking in the reviews for ideas on where to take this so if there's something you want included, let me know!**


End file.
